Master Your Mind and Embrace Life's Challenges 💪

Hey there, folks!

Today we are talking about willpower, resilience, and, yes, even death? 😆 We are talking about mind control. Don't worry, it's not as grim as it sounds. We'll cover some pretty cool topics, including:

• Jedi-style willpower 💫

• The art of the "pre-mortem" 🔮

• Thomas Edison's fiery optimism 🔥

• Loving whatever life throws at us 🥊

• Memento Mori 💀 (trust us, it's not as spooky as it sounds)

Next week we are going to cover the classic Good to Great by Jim Collins. In the meantime. Get comfy, grab a snack, and let's get into it!

Estimated read time: 🕑 5 minutes

Accept what you can’t change, and change what you can

Hey, you know that old saying, "accept what you can't change, and change what you can"? It's basically about willpower, but not the "I want this sooo badly" kind. It's more about being cool with things you can't control and rolling with the punches when life doesn't go your way. Think of it like being a Jedi in a world full of Stormtroopers!

Those ancient Stoic peeps – Marcus, Epictetus, Seneca, and the crew – were like the OG masters of will. They played this mental game of "Can I control it, or can't I?" Turns out, the only thing we really control is our noggin. Everything else – what people do, Mother Nature, the fact that we can't live forever – is out of our hands. But hey, at least we get to call the shots with our emotions, judgments, and decisions, right?

So, how do you use this super-secret Stoic intel? You can build your very own Inner Citadel, kind of like a mental fortress that's immune to life's drama. But here's the catch: you're not born with it. You gotta put in the work to build that bad boy.

Lots of people think they're stuck with whatever hand life deals them. But guess what? That's just not true. Look at Theodore Roosevelt, for example. Dude was born with awful asthma, but he didn't just roll over and accept it. Nope, Teddy got swole, hit the gym, and pretty much kicked asthma to the curb.

Life definitely threw some curveballs at ol' Teddy. His wife and mom died, he faced tough political rivals, and some peeps even tried to off him. But he was ready for anything, thanks to his mad willpower skills and that Inner Citadel he built.

So, what about you? Are you ready for whatever life tosses your way? Because, let's face it, life's gonna happen. Loss, setbacks, tough times, and just plain ol' bummers. You can't dodge 'em all, but you can be ready. Like Teddy, build your inner fortress, your mental six-pack, and when life gets rough, you'll be strong enough to handle it and keep on truckin'.

Anticipation - Pre-mortem

Picture this: A CEO gathers her team in the conference room right before launching a huge new project. Everyone takes a seat, and she starts with, "Bad news, folks. The project's failed big time. What went wrong?" Wait, what? It hasn't even started yet! Well, that's the point. She's using this cool technique called a "premortem" by psychologist Gary Klein. It's like a postmortem, but, you know, before the thing dies.

We've all heard of those meetings where people discuss what went wrong after a project's gone belly-up. But with a premortem, you think about what could go wrong before it even starts! It's like having a crystal ball that helps you see potential disasters before they happen.

Life's unpredictable, and things rarely go as planned. Just ask Mike Tyson, who once said, "If you're not humble, life will visit humbleness upon you." Ouch. But seriously, if more people had thought about worst-case scenarios, maybe we could've avoided some big-time messes like the tech bubble, Enron, and that real estate bubble thing.

Nowadays, premortems are all the rage in the business world. But truth be told, the ancient Stoics were way ahead of their time. They called it "premeditatio malorum" (premeditation of evils). Fancy, huh?

Stoic philosophers like Seneca would plan a trip and then think about all the ways it could go sideways: storms, sick captains, pirate attacks—you name it. They were always ready for something to go wrong and had a plan B (or C or D) ready to roll.

Let's face it, life's full of surprises, and not all of them are the fun kind. So why not think about the "what ifs" and have a plan for when things don't go as expected? As the saying goes, "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst."

Sure, some might call you a pessimist, but who cares? It's better to seem like a Debbie Downer than be caught off guard when things don't go your way. Be ready for setbacks and disappointments. You'll bounce back faster and stronger if you're prepared for the unexpected.

Anticipating the worst doesn't make life a cakewalk, but it helps you roll with the punches. You'll know the possible outcomes, good and bad, and be ready to handle whatever life throws at you. So go ahead, embrace your inner Stoic, and start building your dreams in real life, not just your imagination. After all, it's better to be pleasantly surprised than completely blindsided!

Thomas Edison’s Fire

So, one evening, our buddy Thomas Edison, who's 67 at the time, comes home from his lab for some grub. Just after dinner, this dude barges in all panicked, saying Edison's research campus is on fire! Firefighters from eight towns race to the scene, but those crazy chemicals make the fire unstoppable.

Edison keeps his cool, finds his son, and with a twinkle in his eye, tells him to grab his mom and her friends because they'll never see a fire like this again. I mean, talk about optimism, right? He even said, "It's all right. We've just got rid of a lot of rubbish."

So, Edison loses years of priceless records, prototypes, and research to the flames, and insurance only covers a fraction of the damage. But does he mope around? Nah, he's pumped! He tells a reporter he's not too old for a fresh start and that he's been through stuff like this before. "It prevents a man from being afflicted with ennui," he said. Fancy word for boredom, huh?

In just three weeks, the factory's partially back in action, and in a month, they're working double shifts, making new products the world's never seen. Edison turned a massive loss into millions in revenue that year. Talk about bouncing back!

The point is, we gotta love whatever life throws at us and face it with a smile. Like boxer Jack Johnson, who kept smiling and joking while fighting his opponent and a hateful crowd. He kept his cool, enjoying every minute of proving himself.

So, when life throws obstacles your way, remember to smile, embrace it, and turn it into something amazing. Channel your inner Edison or Johnson, and love what happens. Don't just be okay with it - feel great about it! Why choose anything other than feeling good, right? Learn to like whatever life dishes out, and turn it into your fuel. You'll be unstoppable!

Memento Mori

Okay, so this might sound a bit dark, but let's chat about death for a sec. We're all gonna kick the bucket someday, right? Not today, hopefully, but it's coming. And thinking about that can actually give our lives a fresh sense of purpose and urgency.

Death's something we can't control, so why worry? Instead, use it to put everything else into perspective. Getting cut off in traffic? No biggie. Just remember to be kind, chill, and enjoy life while you can, because, you know, the clock's ticking.

The cool thing is, if you can turn even the biggest obstacle – death – into an advantage, then seriously, what can't you overcome?

And hey, once you tackle one obstacle, there's always another one waiting. Sure, it might sound tiring, but trust me, you'll get better at it. Keep going, stay cool, and move forward with creativity and determination.

Don't fear obstacles, embrace 'em! They're not just something blocking your way, they ARE the way.

So, bring on the challenges, life! We're ready for 'em!

Have a great weekend. See you on Monday!

Best,

Camillo